Clichy - Théodore Legras - Vase - Large and rare vase

Grand and superb Art Deco vase; Théodore Legras It is marble-like in color throughout, with pastel shades of "Blue, White, Yellow, Red, Pink"; these color nuances and this model are not common among Clichy vases. It is in superb condition with no cracks or chips. Ideal for Art Deco decor for a Gîte, Hotel, Loft, Duplex, Castle, Office, Showroom, Florist, Manor, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant, Flower Shop, or for a Florist, Gardener. François Théodore Legras, an important figure in glass art Glass art Originating from the Vosges, and having spent his childhood in a small hamlet at the heart of the Darney forest, François Théodore Legras was a great master glassmaker of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco eras. The landscape surrounding his home in his childhood would later become his main source of inspiration. With motifs inspired by nature and remarkable colors, Legras-branded works are of outstanding quality… to the point that they are still highly sought after today by art enthusiasts and collectors. Hailing from a modest family, François Théodore Legras was a hard worker. At 27, he already led a prosperous company called the “Verrerie de La Plaine Saint-Denis.” --- Are you also impressed by the works of this Vosges master glassmaker? Let’s journey through the ages and the major milestones of François Théodore Legras’s life. ---- François Théodore Legras: from childhood to master glassmaker François Théodore Legras is one of the famous glassmakers of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. Imported among the renowned 19th and 20th-century artists such as Émile Gallé, the Daum brothers, the Muller brothers, or Jean-Simon Peynaud, he built a reputation that would cross centuries. His father, named Jean Nicolas Legras, was a woodcutter; his mother, Baptiste Sophie Joly, was a homemaker. In short, François Théodore Legras came from a humble family. He was born in the hamlet of La Grande Catherine in Claudon, in the Vosges department, on December 27, 1839. Before passing away in Paris on August 2, 1916, François Théodore Legras accomplished important missions to promote glass art, reveal his artistic talent, and make exceptional works of art available to future generations. Nothing suggested that this little boy who spent his entire childhood in the countryside, in the midst of the Darney forest, would later become the head of a very famous glassworks brand, and also a talented and passionate glass artist. That said, his life in his Vosges homeland greatly contributed to shaping his future, since by becoming a glassmaker, Théodore Legras would highlight nature in each of his productions. Employing more than 1,500 people, the Legras glassworks, known under the corporate name “Verrerie et Cristallerie de St Denis,” participated in numerous exhibitions and often won prizes: gold medal at the Barcelona International Exhibition of 1888, 6th Grand Prix at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889… François Théodore Legras: an extraordinary career François Théodore Legras joined the glassmaking world for the first time at the age of 20. He began by working as a night clerk in glassworks near his residence in La Grande Catherine in Claudon. This trade allowed him to learn the art of glass and discover its secrets and subtleties. He certainly found pleasure in what he did, and he became more involved with passion, to the point of leading a famous glassworks brand a few years later. At 24, Legras left his Vosges homeland to join the La Plaine Saint-Denis glassworks located in a district of Saint-Denis. The company hired the young Vosgian as a clerk and gave him the opportunity to advance. Six months later, François Théodore Legras was promoted to head of production at the La Plaine Saint-Denis glassworks. In 1866, at the age of only 27, Legras became director of the brand. Now that he had gained solid experience in glassmaking and was at the helm of La Plaine Saint-Denis, he did everything to develop the company. He began by building new factories as well as a workers’ citadel. Over the years, the Legras factories became an enormous industrial complex of about 20,000 square meters. When the La Plaine Saint-Denis glassworks became “Legras & Co.” With his incredible career, François Théodore Legras was named CEO of the Verrerie de La Plaine Saint-Denis. This marked another corporate name change and it became: “Legras & Co.” The company’s head office was located on Avenue de Paris, Saint-Denis; while depots were installed at 22 bis, Rue de Paradis, Saint-Denis. The company produced utilitarian glassware in series, often in Nil green. From multicolored pieces to luxury products, Legras’s productions rivaled those of renowned glassworks and crystal houses such as Baccarat, Meisenthal. The décors of each Legras production are usually framed in gold and have rather classical shapes. Continuously evolving, Legras & Co acquired in 1902 nine large fusion furnaces with 12 melting pots, and another eight-pot furnace. The latter was exclusively for making colored glasses, while the first were used daily. The company employed more than 1,400 people, including cutters, bouchage workers, decorator artists, engravers, designers, and glassworkers… Legras & Co manufactured glass pieces for chemistry, pharmacy, packaging, decorative novelty items (vases, jardinières, bowls…), utilitarian items, and place settings… Like the Portieux and Vallerysthal crystal works, Legras produced sublime colored glass pieces. Most of its works evoke the beauty of nature and feature a landscape, flowers, or wildlife as decoration. François Théodore Legras: one of the names behind the founding of Art Nouveau Producing extraordinarily eclectic works, François Théodore Legras stood out for his great versatility. From blown to enamelled glasses, he experimented with all glassmaking techniques. He was capable of working with the most complex method of glassmaking, which made Daum’s crystal famous: pâte de verre (glass paste). With a variety of works with diverse décors and shapes, Legras captured the hearts of art lovers of his era and could meet the needs of a varied clientele. Legras drew inspiration from nature to adorn his creations. The master glassmaker’s favorite themes range from chrysanthemums to irises, including orchids. With such inspiration, François Théodore Legras was invited by Émile Gallé, the Daum brothers, and René Lalique (founder of Lalique glassworks in 1888) to help found with them the Art Nouveau movement. This is an artistic style inspired by nature, emphasizing curving forms. The philosophy of Art Nouveau was to create beauty at a low cost, for art accessible to all. Art Nouveau enjoyed great success from the late 19th century to the early 20th century (1880–1910), giving way to the new artistic movement Art Deco. Unlike Art Nouveau, the latter draws on geometric lines (symmetry, complex lines, aerodynamic curves…). ----The fate of Legras glassworks When François Théodore Legras took the helm of the Verrerie de La Plaine Saint-Denis, he changed its course. Over the years, the factory gradually grew to become the most important glassworks brand of the Art Nouveau era in the Paris region. Legras glassworks’ reputation approached that of the greatest brands such as Gallé, Muller brothers, Daum crystal, and Saint-Louis crystal, and crossed national borders. The brand participated in several national and international exhibitions where it was often rewarded, to name only the gold medal at the Barcelona Universal Exhibition of 1888 and the 6th Grand Prix at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889. The death of François Théodore Legras on August 2, 1916 in Paris at 76, and World War I mark the end of Legras’s peak period. Legras descendants ensured the company’s growth until 1919. That year, the Legras & Co glassworks was sold to grandson Théodore Legras. He steered the business toward the new stylish trend then in vogue: Art Deco. Producing works in a fashionable and highly sought-after style, the brand maintained its prosperity. Around 1928/1930, Legras & Co’s glassworks was acquired by the Lyonnais Souchon-Neuvesel group (the current BSN), which preferred to keep the Legras name. In 1925, the glassworks was again acquired by the “Verrerie et Cristallerie des Quatre Chemins.” What are the price and the signature of genuine Legras vases? To acquire a vase valued at around €1,000, it is best to avoid counterfeits. For this, you should first verify the signature placed on the piece. When his son Charles Legras took over the Legras glassworks, different signatures could be read on Legras works: “Pantin,” “Legras,” “Leg,” or “Legras Co. St-Denis.” Furthermore, you should know that Legras vases are made of glass, not pâte de verre as is frequently indicated. To admire François Théodore Legras’s art, you can visit the Musée d’Hennezel-Clairey and relive the epic of this industrial captain through a wide range of Legras productions. Legras-themed bottles François Théodore Legras was also known for his decorative bottles. These were bottles decorated on various themes such as the figures of the Third Republic, Jeanne d’Arc, the “Tower Eiffel,” or Napoleon. A few Legras-themed bottles sometimes appear on the art market, notably the old two-faced Legras subject bottle featuring a woman and a man (1900), the Legras subject bottle “Hand holding a bottle” (19th century), or the Legras subject bottle “The Mill” (19th century).

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